1. Cigarette scam

A scammer will approach and engage you in conversation. He claims to works in some official capacity and would love to tell you stories about Sri Lanka and take you to places that visitors rarely see.

However, he can’t take you to his office as it is too far away. Instead, he invites you for tea at an upscale restaurant.

During the meeting, he will order a packet of cigarettes along with a drink. The implication is that the visitor will pay the bill in return for local knowledge about Sri Lanka.

However, when the bill comes, it is extremely expensive as a result of the packet of cigarettes that has been added.

The establishment is part of the scam and deliberately inflates the price of the cigarettes and drinks. The scammer earns a commission for bringing you there.

What to do:

If you are approached in the street by someone who claims to be an official and wants to tell you more about Sri Lanka, walk away.

2. Tea shipping

Source image: thebakersjourney.com

How it works:

Sri Lanka is famous for its tea which also brings with it this tea scam.

In this situation, the scam takes place at a tea plantation or another venue where you get to sample some delicious tea.

Once you have tried the tea, a local will tell you that they can ship the tea to your home country in large quantities.

They will offer a very low price to make it sound like a bargain, claiming that you only need to pay export tax.

Once you pay the tax and give the scammer your address, the tea never arrive as promised.

What to do:

If you want to buy tea or any other goods in Sri Lanka, it is best to do so in person while you are in the country.

Should you rely on someone to ship goods to your country after you have left, there is a good chance that you will never receive them.

3. Fake gemstones and certificates

How it works:

This is a common scam (also in Thailand, Myanmar, etc) around the southern coastal tourist belt of Sri Lanka.

A scammer will approach you and offer you the chance to buy some local gemstones at a heavily discounted price.

These however are not real, natural gemstones. They are most likely worthless pieces of colored glass passing off as a sapphire, or heat treated semi-precious stones that is worth 1/10 of the price.

These fakes will also come with forged “authenticity certificates” to make them look more authentic.

What to do:

Buy only from a reputable and licensed jewelry store which you find from your hotel / hostel staff or online travel forums.

However, most importantly, the jeweler must be willing to accompany you to the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Authority (SLGJA) in Colombo or Ratnapura to verify the gems sold.

This is a free service provided by the government to foreigners.

Also beware of any business selling gemstones at a discounted fee (usually the small shops), or gemstones that look too flawless. This is because all natural gemstones have at least one or some form of impurity.

If you do not want to go through the hassle of researching, other options available include:

Using local connections: get a local to bring you around.

Shopping tour through Viator (largest platform of day tours globally and in Sri Lanka): get a professional guide to bring you around.

4. Unofficial tour guides

Source image: sundayobserver.lk

How it works:

There are many of these touts around, who will strike you up in a conversation and then offer to bring you around.

They claim that as a local, they can help you get “local” prices be it for transport, food or what have you.

Take up their offer, and you will most likely get ripped off by the tuk tuk driver whom they work in cahoots with, by being sent to a bunch of gemstone shops and places where they get a commission from.

What to do:

Firmly reject such unsolicited offers.

Only engage a licensed, reputable tour operator which you can find via:

TourRadar: all the best multi-day tours by established names like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, Trafalgar, etc can be found here with best price guarantee.

Viator: largest platform of day tours globally and in Sri Lanka with low price guarantee.

Your hotel / hostel affiliated tour operator: reliable but generally not the best or cheapest.

5. Spice garden scam

How it works:

This is similar to the traditional Chinese medicine scam in China, where they bring in a phony doctor during the free tour to bring you around.

They are shrewd salesmen and understand the principle of reciprocity. So they first try to make you feel as good as possible and give you something free here and there.

It could be a free tour, free tea and / or a free massage. It is human nature to want to return the favour.

With trust built up, the doctor will now claim that you suffer from some ailments unknown to you.

They then claim that they are accredited by the government, and have been cultivating medicinal herbs for 1,000s of years.

To help you, they recommend some remedies and products which are essentially crap at inflated prices.

Should you believe their spiel and buy a product, do watch out for the credit card scam.

There have been reports of these scammers entering a different amount in the credit card machine and charging a lot more without you realizing.

What to do:

It is best to avoid spice gardens, or simply go for the free tour but not buy anything there.

If you really want to get some spices, check out reputable shops which you can find through online research or from your hotel / hostel.

6. Visa scam

Source image: psimonmyway.com

How it works:

There have been reports of extortion and inconsistent visa fees charged at Colombo International Airport when applying for a visa.

What to do:

Do your research of the process and fees, or simply apply online. Check the official site for the correct fees to pay.

7. Safari tour scam

Source image: talallahouse.com

How it works:

Not technically a scam, but more a tourist trap.

Do not book safari tours through a tuk tuk driver or a taxi driver.

These drivers will demand a cut from the tour operator they send you to and so the price you pay for will be higher than market rate.

If it’s a cheap tour, then it’s highly likely that the tour operator have skimped on many safety aspects of the tour.

What to do:

Engage a licensed, reputable tour operator which you can find via:

TourRadar: all the best multi-day tours by established names like Intrepid Travel, G Adventures, Trafalgar, etc can be found here with best price guarantee.

Viator: largest platform of day tours globally and in Sri Lanka with low price guarantee.

Your hotel / hostel affiliated tour operator: reliable but generally not the best or cheapest.

If you prefer to engage a tour operator offline, ask these questions:

Is the operator licensed and is there a professional website, physical office, business email and working telephone number?

Are there online reviews? Do they sound legitimate?

Is the price too low to be true? What does it cover (vehicles, guides, safety, insurance, hidden fees, etc)?

When paying:

Avoid paying in full upfront unless through a reputable platform / operator.

8. Pickpocketing

How it works:

Pickpocketing is a problem in Sri Lanka particularly in crowded areas close to tourist attractions such as markets (e.g. Pettah Market in Colombo), as well as at busy transportation hubs and on buses and trains.

These thieves work in gangs, and will hang around to spot anyone carrying an expensive or neglected phone / jewelry / valuable / bag and where it is stored.

Once they mark a target, they surround you and then work like this:

One keeps a lookout and blocks passer-bys from seeing the scene.

Anotherblocks, pushes or distracts you (e.g. ask you an innocent question / survey / drop something and ask you about it).

A third steals your valuable / slashes your bag and then passes it on.

The last hides the loot under a jacket / coat / newspaper and then escapes.

What to do:

Stay alert and watch out for suspicious characters, though that is easier said than done.

The best solution is still, to not make yourself look like a target.

Further, make it impossible for thieves to steal from you with these methods:

Carry around a photocopy of your passport instead of the actual one.

Carry small amounts of cash in a cheap spare wallet that you wouldn’t mind losing. Do not leave it in your back pocket.

Get a good travel insurance (e.g. World Nomads, trusted by Lonely Planet and National Geographic – check our review) which covers loss of valuables.

9. Beggar with fake disabilities

How it works:

Scammers often operate this scam in touristy areas and particularly target religious sites like temples.

As you walk around the temple complex you will be approached by a scammer with a donation sheet. They will explain that they are collecting money for someone who has a disability.

Next, they tell you a long story about how much the person has suffered and will often produce photographs as evidence.

They will then ask for a donation for medical treatment for the disabled person. Reference to religious reasons why you should help, such as how you will get ‘good karma’ will also be made.

This however is a scam. The scammer doesn’t even know the person in the photographs and the money will not be used to help the disabled.

What to do:

Decline and walk away.

If you do want to donate then only donate to a registered charity.

10. Teacher beggar

How it works:

A less in your face beggar, the teacher beggar comes across as a respectable looking local, who approaches you on the street and introduces oneself as a teacher.

He will say he is not after money, but would like to strike up a conversation to improve his English.

During the conversation, he will mention that the school he is working at is poor and in dire need for funds for books and equipment.

He will then ask if you wouldn’t mind donating just a small amount.

What to do:

Firmly reject.

11. The place is closed

Elephant bath tour

How it works:

A common scam all over the world (e.g. India, Vietnam, Morocco, etc), this scam is usually carried out by taxi drivers or tour guides.

It starts when you ask to be taken to a tourist attraction / hotel / specific business / cafe and the driver or guide tells you that it is closed.

They then offer to take you to another place that they claim to know well, but are actually places where they get a commission from.

What to do:

There is no way of knowing whether the venue you wish to visit is closed unless you go there in person.

So insist that your driver take you there for you to see for yourself.

Another way to make it clear that you are not interested in a different venue is to say that you have already made a booking and paid full upfront

For accommodation especially, only book through legitimate platforms such as:

Agoda: leader in Asia with the best selection and rates here generally.

HomeStay: if you are up for gaining genuine insights of Sri Lanka by staying with a local host!

B. TRANSPORT

1. “Government” tuk tuk scam

How it works:

You might find yourself befriended by a random stranger on the street, who mentions that there is some big ceremony happening not too far away.

After a short conversation, a tuk tuk pulls up, and your newly made friend tells you that it is an official, government tuk tuk.

They explain by pointing to a coin taped beside the number plate as proof.

Should you take up the tuk tuk’s offer to bring you to the ceremony, you will be brought to somewhere secluded and robbed. Or probably some shops along the way first where the driver gets a commission.

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9 Comments

Thank you for preparing this list.its all about using your common sense in such situations .Having pre -planned or pre-booked travel services can help such unpleasant moments ,having a official travel guide or driver guide throughout your travel can help .sleays look for reputed travel agents in Sri Lanka

Common sense advice that is usefull except for…. Usung a hotel safe. Have a look on utube and you may be surprised at how easily a hotel safe may be overcome. Of course, nothing is really safe if somebody really wants it so its all degrees of opportunity.

I wish I had read this before going to Sri Lanka as I ended up buying some questionable skin care remedies in a spice garden. However, the country is amazing and I will definitely go there again. My experience advice, if approached by a Tuk Tuk driver offering to take you somewhere then refuse. Always agree the price up front. If they divert to a gem stone mine, spice garden, River cruise just tell them you have already been there.

Relating to the tuk tuk scams, I’m a Sri Lankan myself and I never use tuk tuks parked by the side of the roads because they charge more than the regular tuk tuks which I could book via the mobile app. I always use Pickme which is not only cheaper but for tourists its also safer because of its GPS tracking, SOS alerts and in case of issues you can always report the driver to the headoffice where necessary action could be taken. Another option would be to use Uber which is also considerably cheap and especially cheaper than the road side tuks!

I went through your blog articles it means a lot about Sri Lanka and i like all the interesting posts.
Did you know we also had a similar site related to Sri Lanka but we covers travel tips related to Sri Lanka and about Sri lankan languages.

Thanks a lot for making this list. Unfortunately Sri Lanka has become a mekka for hustlers and scam artists of all sorts with the growing tourism after the Civil War ended, to such a degree, that I can hardly recognize “my Sri Lanka” anymore, and I have basically been victim of attempts to do them all and then some by now.

I can add the marriage of relative or friend scam. In Sigiriya one young guy befriended me and soon he began talking about a friend of his girlfriend, who had been through a horrible marriage with a local boy on drugs and who now would like to marry a westerner. It all sounded so good, but it basically turned out, that I just had to invest in some business of which I could not hold papers as a foreigner or build a room to my “friends” sister’s house, where my coming wife and I could live for free. I did try their “for free”, I stayed at his sisters house for a little week and every single day were without comparison the most expensive days I ever had in Sri Lanka and I basically were stuck in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t go anywhere on my own. My “friend” of course choose were I ate, which always were on the expensive tourist places, where I simply would never go on my own. The last day at his house I ended up buying him a new set of clothes, because his all were wet, by the way the most expensive set of clothes I have ever bought in my time in Sri Lanka, and give the guy 7000 rupees, so he could meet the girls parents in Kandy in an restaurant, of course, and talk them into accepting the marriage. What a joke! While he were away, I packed my gear and called a taxi and went of. Same evening I send a message to the girl and explained my concerns and called of the wedding plans. Her entire reply were “okay”. She definitely had never had any intention marrying me and for all I know she might not even be single or live in Kandy, as she said she did.

I have heard some horror stories about these kinds of fake marriage proposals already, so I was on the guard and did not fall for it. For instance did one of my friends meet a countryman from Denmark on a vacation in Thailand, who were both heartbroken and completely devastated. He had for quite a while had a relationship to a local girl on frequent vacations and now they had just got married, a huge wedding and party for all the village, which cost around 10.000 us dollars and bought a house in her name, which cost around 100.000 us dollars (which is a luxury house in both Thailand and Sri Lanka) and as soon as the wedding were over and the papers signed the girls real husband and her children moved into the house. Basically the entire village were complicit in scamming the poor guy and there were nothing he could do, because the house were not in his name.

By the way, I have been married to a Sri Lanka woman and I therefore have some knowledge of Sinhala, the majority language in Sri Lanka. If they refer to you as “Sudha”, maybe even with a snear on their face or disgust in their voice, I guarantee you, that they are not your friends, no matter what they try to do or say in English to convince you otherwise. “Sudha” is a racist and very negative laden word used against white men in particular and its just as negative as nigger would be about black people in USA or pakhi would be in UK against Muslims, just to take this into context, and the racism against in particular white males are unfortunately rampant down here. It is government policy, that tourists should pay over prices for everything and in popular media you see dayly doses of propaganda against white people, as of course programs constantly referring to white males as drunks. I’m not kidding you, this is true.